bananas

Not Your Grandmother’s Banana Bread with M&Ms, Nuts & a Smidge of Peanut Butter

Pretty much everyone loves Banana Bread, especially when its just out of the oven and slathered with butter. My ‘Not Your Grandmother’s’ Banana Bread’ gives you the extra kick of melted chocolate and nuts, not to mention just a hint of peanut butter flavor.

++ Here’s a great link with all the info. you’d ever need to know about pan sizes! http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html

Ingredients & Directions Oven at 350F Bake for 50 – 55 minutes

++ Use a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan, if possible !! If using a smaller pan, you may have to increase cooking time & the banana bread might be a bit crumbly… but still delicious!!

2 medium – VERY RIPE – bananas…. enough to equal 1 cup
1 Tbs. lemon juice ++ If you don’t have any lemon juice.. that’s fine.
1/4 cup buttered, SOFTENED ++Put in microwave for a few seconds.
1/4 cup chunk-style peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar If you don’t have brown sugar, use a total of 1/2 cup regular sugar.
1/4 cup brown sugar ++ DON’T pack down the brown sugar.
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup M&Ms
1/4 chopped peanuts OR chopped walnuts

Put bananas in a small bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Measure out 1 cup and place mashed banana in a large bowl. Add 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup chunk-style peanut butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar (NOT packed), 1 large egg, 1/3 cup milk, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

Mix with electric mixer until ‘just combined’. Stir in 1 cup M&Ms and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts OR walnuts.

Pour into greased loaf pan (I suggest a 9 x 5 x 3). ++ I like to sprinkle the top with 2 tsp. of sugar, which gives the banana bread a nice look.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes until a knife (or toothpick) comes out clean when stuck into the center of the loaf. Cool banana bread (still in the pan) on a rack for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool further. (I bet the bread won’t last more than two minutes before someone cuts into it.) Enjoy!

April 11, 2014April 11, 2018

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!17 Comments

Banana Nut Pancakes

Banana Nut Pancakes were always a BIG favorite in our house when my boys were growing up. Unlike regular pancakes, which can be very dry when reheated, these pancakes are always dense and moist. And, they can be frozen, so you can enjoy them whenever you wish. As you may know, I’m a big believer in “Everything’s Better with Chocolate”, so I usually add chocolate chips to the batter, although I didn’t add them this time. (Perhaps I’m considering the fact that my high school reunion is only a month away….)

My friend Katie recently told me she could imagine these pancakes with a scoop of ice cream, with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. I told her, “Katie, I like the way you think!” Then, I added, how about imagining these pancakes with some slices bananas and chopped walnuts, along with the ice cream and chocolate syrup. “Overkill”…. nah !!!

Totally off the subject of pancakes…. recently I hosted a pretty good-sized party but, due to problems with my separated left shoulder, I ended up ordering some fabulous Italian food from a local eatery. I did make a few items though. One was a green bean salad. But I was not happy with the results of my efforts, which doesn’t often happen… Recently, Rufus, of Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide, posted a lovely recipe for a green bean salad. I told him I’m going to provide the link because it looks so delicious. – so here it is. http://rufusguide.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/green-bean-salad-2/

BANANA NUT PANCAKES

Ingredients Makes about 17 Recipe can easily be cut in half…

(I really believe a griddle or an electric skillet cooks pancakes or French toast much better than a ordinary skillet because the heat is even – right to the edge of the pan.)

2 1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix (I like Aunt Jemima)
1 1/4 cups milk or water (I didn’t have any milk, so I used water & they were fine.) If you like your pancakes thicker, add less water. It you think the batter’s too thin, add more pancake mix.)
2 eggs
2 Tbs. oil
1 banana (Doesn’t have to be super “ripe”. Just mash it up a bit. “Chunks” are OK !)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips – – optional
oil or butter – to grease the pan/griddle/electric skillet

In a good-sized bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix, 1 1/4 cup milk or water, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. oil, 1 “mashed” banana, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon & 1 Tbs. packed brown sugar. thoroughly with a wooden spoon. (I prefer to hand-mix pancakes. Just like muffins, pancakes come out fluffier when mixed by hand.) Add 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips, if you so desire but it’s certainly not necessary.

Begin heating your pan/griddle to 275 F – 300 F. Use a generous amount of butter or oil (I prefer butter) to grease your pan. Using a 1/4 measuring cup (or 1/3 measuring cup, depending upon how big your want your pancakes), pour out enough batter for each pancake, leaving a bit of room between each one.

Very soon bubbles will begin to appear on the top but it’ll take about a minute after the bubbles appear before the pancakes are ready to turn over. (If you’re not sure when to turn them over, use a spatula to peak at the bottom of one to see if it’s browned,.) The second side usually cooks faster than the first. Here’s how I check to see (especially with the first ones), I just open one up a bit with a knife so I can be sure the inside’s cooked. ) As I said previously, these Banana Nut Pancakes are moister than others – so they are far less likely to dry out.

Now the rest is up to you. You can sprinkle these babies with confectionery (icing) sugar or brown sugar or, of course, drizzle on some maple syrup. OR – you can go crazy and add ice cream, whipped cream etc. It’s your Breakfast Party !!

++ To reheat frozen pancakes – place a paper towel on a plate, then place three pancakes on top. Cover pancakes with a second paper towel. Heat on HIGH for 1 minute & 20 seconds…. of course, it depends on your microwave. Enjoy !!

September 18, 2013September 30, 2014

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!15 Comments

Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I used to make these Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast when my sons were young. However, at that time I wasn’t topping the muffins with melted chocolate and nuts. A person only has some much time in the morning!

Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals, so I used to love to cook all kinds of great things for breakfast, such as a really delicious breakfast custard. Or we used to have cornmeal pancakes, banana nut pancakes, apple pancakes, waffles, Egg Benedict, Eggs in a Frame and Goldenrod Eggs on toast etc. Was I always on time for my job as a teacher….. nope. But I always arrived with a Happy Tummy!!

The original recipe didn’t call for chocolate chips – or melted chocolate on top – but I believe you can never have too much of a good thing.

Oven at 400 F Makes 16 mini muffins Makes 12 regular muffins

13 (or so) minutes for “mini” muffins – – – For the mini muffins, grease both the bottom & the sides of the muffin cups.

15 minutes (or so) for regular-sized muffins You can use cupcake liners – or – grease the bottoms only.

Ingredients I checked online and the recipe has been changed a bit since “way back when”, so I’m posting the latest amounts because I think the changes are good. There’s a bit more mashed banana, plus a little more sugar.

1 egg
3 Tbs. melted butter – microwave for 10 seconds — OR — 3 Tbs. oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/4 cups mashed VERY RIPE banana
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips – for top of muffins
1 tsp. Crisco
some chopped walnuts, to sprinkle on top of muffins

In a medium bowl, mix egg slightly with a fork. Add the 3 Tbs. melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups Bisquick and 1 1/4 cups mashed banana. Mix with large spoon until just combined.

Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups to 1/2 full. Bake according to the above directions, depending upon the size of your muffin pans. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or a knife into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, then your muffins are done. (Don’t get confused by the melted chocolate sticking to either the toothpick or the knife. As long as the batter’s cooked, then the muffins are done!)

Allow muffins to cool for a few minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. While muffins are cooling, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tsp. Crisco in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Return to microwave for another 20 – 35 seconds. Stir again, then, with a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the muffins. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Enjoy!!